The Will Of The Force?
by Drow79
Summary: The Force is meant to be omnipresent, it is meant to shape the destinies of everyone in the galaxy, both good and evil, however there is one thing not even it can truly ever control...random chance. After an encounter with the most unlikely of people the once well laid out destiny of Luke Skywalker is thrown into chaos. (Imperial Luke Skywalker).
1. And So It Begins

**Anyone who has read my other stories knows that occasionally I'll get random ideas and write them up to get them out of my head. I'll probably write three chapters of this story, see how fun it is to write and how much people enjoy. If I like it, I will continue it. This story is a mixture of both Canon and Legends, and the Star Wars timeline will be messed with slightly. Before people ask the Vong are still a thing in this story. Anyway enjoy.**

* * *

"Cadet Skywalker!" shouted the instructor.

"Yes sir!" replied Luke in a worried tone, snapping a salute.

"Stop being so jumpy, you're a pilot of the Galactic Empire, start acting like it!" growled out the Academy instructor as he gestured to the black TIE pilot uniform Luke now wore.

"Yes sir," answered the Cadet in a slightly more confident tone.

The instructor frowned but otherwise nodded as he turned to face the surrounding Cadets in the room, all wearing the signature black TIE pilot flight suit. "Now I want everyone here to perform their best today understand? We have a high ranking officer arriving sometime today in order to evaluate our Academy. Any mistakes from you reflect poorly on us, so there will be _no_ _mistakes or misbehavior_ for the rest of the day, do I make myself clear!?" growled out their instructor.

"Sir, yes sir!" they chorused in unison before being dismissed by the instructor.

"Hey Skywalker, we're going to hit the simulators. Want to join?" asked one of his Squadmates.

Luke just shook his head, "Not right now, I needed to get something from the city, I'll catch up with you all later."

With that said the rest of Shadow Squadron departed as Luke headed towards the city, and as he waked through the halls of the Imperial Academy his mind thought back to how he had arrived at the Academy.

" _NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" roared Uncle Owen, his face red with rage._

" _But why not? Biggs already left to join the Imperial Academy so why can't I?" replied Luke in a sad voice_

" _BECAUSE I SAID SO! I WIL NOT HAVE MY NEPHEW WORKING FOR THE EMPIRE!_ " _shouted the still furious uncle Owen._

" _What he means, honey, is that it's too dangerous," soothed aunt Beru as she gently rested her hand on Luke's shoulder._

" _But think of all the money that could be made, I could make it so you both wouldn't have to work on this Force-forsaken dust ball anymore. We could move to the Core Worlds!" replied Luke, only to freeze as he heard a soft whisper at the back of his head._

 _After another two minutes of shouting Luke eventually gave up and walked up to his room, before growling out in anger as he collapsed on his bed. In his angered state Luke once again heard the dark seductive whispers and suddenly an idea came to him. He could run away, join the local Academy and once he got into the military he could start sending money back to them. Sure they would be angry at first but after they'd moved off this desert rock then they'll be thanking him, who knows he might even become high ranking in the Empire._

 _With his decision made Luke quietly crept along his home and headed towards his old landspeeder before leaving his old moisture farm far behind him, never seeing numerous objects around his room quietly levitating in the dark. As he drove his landspeeder Luke kept trying to figure out what the whisper he'd heard earlier was before eventually dismissing it as just his imagination._

Suddenly Luke was thrown out of his thoughts as he bumped into a patrol of Stormtroopers, "Watch it Flyboy."

"Sorry," apologized the Cadet before freezing as he heard the soft dark whisper coming from the corridor beside him. "What's down there?"

One of the Stormtroopers heard his soft mutter and shrugged, "Some piece of trash that we picked up from a nearby encampment of Tusken Raiders. We were going to smash the thing but apparently someone high up on the food chain wants it. So we're keeping it here until they come pick it up."

"Can I see it?" asked Luke, hearing the whispers beckoning him closer.

The Stormtroopers just glanced at each other before the lead one shrugged, "Sure, Flyboy, I don't see why not. Just don't break it, or it'll be our heads on the chopping block."

Luke nodded as he made his way down the corridor towards the whispers and suddenly the Cadet found himself facing a massive painting. He examined the picture and frowned as he saw the outer edges of the painting depicted Sand people attacking and slaughtering innocents. Luke grimaced as the seductive whispers turned into howls of pain, cries of anger, and screams of fear and terror, shutting his eyes as he tried to drown out the near overwhelming sense of pain, fear and anger radiating from the artwork.

Eventually the horrible feeling died down and Luke opened his eyes to see himself facing a different section of the painting. It was a section showing a female Tusken Raider and her child sleeping near an Oasis as one of their massifs curled up around them. In contrast to the previous scene, there was no pain or anger, just a relaxing calm that briefly washed over Luke for a single moment.

Finally, Luke turned his gaze to the symbol in the centre of the painting and gasped as he saw the detail in it, it was beautiful. The way the deep obsidian black contrasted the twin setting suns in the background.

"Sand People made this?" he wondered, slightly in awe at what he was seeing from the usually barbaric and violent creatures.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" questioned a calm male voice from behind him.

Luke instantly spun around from the painting to see a blue skinned male alien walking up to him before the alien turned to admire the art work beside the Imperial cadet. "It's something alright…I never would have guessed Sand people could have such an artist streak to them," agreed Luke as he joined the alien in taking in the painting.

"So why are you here then? Most Cadets wouldn't give this piece of art a second glance, some would even destroy it simply to spite its creators," asked the alien, still maintaining his calm voice.

For a moment Luke froze, why did he come here? All he really remembered was a dark seductive whisper drawing him here, and then feeling an odd sensation coming from the painting. As if it was radiating the swirl of emotions that its creators must have endured to make it, the passion, the anger, the pride, the joy. It was all there, just waiting at the edges of his perception.

The Cadet then looked at the painting with new eyes and he swore that, for a brief second, he could hear the distinctive cry of a Tusken Raider, he could feel the massive Bantha mount beneath him, he could see a camp of women and children playing around him even as the males dragged a shouting and screaming victim into one of their tents.

As the sensation died down Luke once again heard the seductive whispers of something just beyond his conscious as he replied, "Because of what it can tell us about them."

For the first time since the conversation started, the alien turned away from the painting and looked at Luke with his blood red eyes. "Interesting, and what do you mean by that Cadet?" asked the blue man, a hint of curiosity entering his normally calm voice.

Luke was silent under the baleful stare of the alien, getting the distinct impression that, for better or worse, he had unknowingly entered into some sort of test from the alien. The Cadet thought very carefully about his response as he turned back to look at the painting with a frown, once again feeling the odd sensation coming from it.

"Look at this icon," answered Luke, pointing at a very specific part of the painting, the symbol in the middle of the artwork. "It is painted in much more detail than the rest of the picture."

The Cadet felt the intensity of the red eyes watching him fade slightly as the blue skinned alien blinked and began examining Luke with an odd look. "Ohh? And why is that important?" he tested, and was surprised when Luke answered it instantly.

"You might not know it since we're in the city, but the components to make the ink and brushes of the quality used to make something like this are incredibly hard to find out in the sand dunes. Doubly so for Tusken Raiders. And yet they wasted so much of it solely on that part of the painting and nowhere else. Why would they do that?" replied Luke, his face furrowed in concentration as he moved closer to the painting.

"Indeed why would they…" prompted the alien in an approving tone.

The Cadet continued on after this and this time pointed towards the kneeling figures around the symbol, "Next look at the images of the Sand people around it."

"What about them?" asked his new companion, the slightest hint of a smile creeping along his blue skinned face.

Oblivious to this Luke just frowned as he replied, "They are bowing, you can see they clearly worship what this symbol represents, maybe it is a symbol of power or office among them, similar to the rank insignias of uniforms."

"Which means…" encouraged the alien, this time reminding Luke of a teacher as the Cadet smiled.

"Which means that if our troops ever encounter them in the field, they should target anyone or anything with this symbol, at best it will rob them of their leader and at worst it will demoralize them and discourage them from attacking Imperial forces again," answered Luke proudly, getting a soft applause from his new alien friend.

"Very impressive Cadet, not many can appreciate art like we do," congratulated the alien.

"We, sir?" replied Luke, subconsciously adding the sir as he felt an aura of command surround the alien.

"Tell me Cadet…why are you not enrolled in the Officer's Academy instead of the Pilot's Academy? You clearly have the intelligence to go far but instead you waste your potential in Flight school," reprimanded the blue skinned alien after taking a quick glance at Luke's TIE pilot uniform.

"I wouldn't say that…after all since when does being able to appreciate art lead to a good Officer potential," laughed Luke, waving away his friend's reprimand with a light hearted chuckle.

"You surprise me Cadet, do you really not understand?" replied the alien in an even tone, causing Luke's laughter to instantly cease as the red eyes once again focused their burning gaze on him.

Indeed, despite not raising his voice, or even showing a hint of anger or displeasure, Luke found himself tongue tied as he stared into the intimidating eyes of the alien before him. Seeing he now had the Cadet's attention, the alien walked up to the painting with a blank expression on his face, "To defeat an enemy, you must know them. Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art."

Luke watched as the blue skinned man then reached his hand out to the painting, stopping just short of touching it as he continued, "I study the art of war, work to perfect it. But tell me Cadet, do you?"

"Does it matter? Either way the Imperial Officer Academy isn't an option for me regardless of my skill or potential," shrugged Luke, getting raised eyebrows from the alien.

"And why is that?" questioned his blue skinned companion.

"Because I'm a simple farmer boy, the higher ups refused to accept me in because I'm too 'low class' for the Officer Academy," replied Luke, shrugging his shoulders in acceptance before continuing. "Plus it didn't help that I wasn't Xenophobic enough for them."

"Indeed, most Imperials would have spat in my direction and walked off long before now," agreed the alien, nodding his head.

Luke just shrugged again, "I don't care about what race you are, all I care about is the person themselves and their abilities. If they're good at their job then they should be rewarded, regardless of their race."

"I can see why that attitude would get you barred from the Imperial Academy, it's not a very popular one within the Empire," pointed out the alien with another nod.

Luke didn't say anything to this as he watched the alien examine the painting and frowned, what was he? He had never seen this species of alien before, and considering the number of them that called Tatooine their home that was saying something. And now that he thought of it, why was this alien here? Wasn't this place meant to be for Imperials only?

"What was your name Cadet?" asked the alien, snapping Luke out of his thoughts as he replied.

"My name's Luke Skywalker, Cadet of Shadow Squadron," replied Luke, snapping off an unprofessional two fingered salute.

"Skywalker…well isn't that a coincidence," muttered the alien before turning to face the Cadet. "Well Cadet Skywalker I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again very soon. Someone of your…caliber is far too useful to be wasting away in the academies."

Luke was about to ask what his new friend meant when he saw an Imperial approaching them and snapped a salute. The Imperial Officer just shot Luke a suspicious glare before turning to the blue skinned alien next to the Cadet with a questioning look on his face.

"Ah Commander Voss, the Cadet and I were just enjoying a riveting conversation on the finer points of this fascinating art piece. Truly an unexpected find within this world wouldn't you agree?" replied the alien, causing Luke to shoot him a horrified look at this blatant disrespect for an Imperial Officer.

"He didn't mean it sir, he's from off world!" shouted Luke, trying to shield his new friend from the Imperial's wrath.

The Commander just raised an eyebrow as he stared at Luke before turning back to face the alien whom gave him a knowing look as he replied, "Like I said…quite the find."

"Indeed, Niriz wanted to speak to you. He seemed very insistent," informed the Officer in a professional and yet respectful tone.

"Well we'd best be off then mustn't we? Make sure that this piece of art is brought to my ship," ordered the alien, getting a nod from the Commander as Luke just stood back and watched with a stunned expression…just who was this person that he could order around an Imperial Officer like that?

As the pair walked off Luke frowned as he realised something…he had never got the name of the alien…

* * *

"Commander, see to it that that Cadet is immediately transferred to my ship," ordered Thrawn, getting a frown from his subordinate.

"Admiral, he hasn't even finished his teaching at the Flight Academy, let alone Officer's Academy. Regulations state that he must finish his learning before enrolling in the Imperial Navy," reminded Voss.

"And so he shall, did you forget my past experience teaching at the Academy? I shall take him on as my personal student, that should silence any protestors," replied the Chiss.

"And create entirely new ones, people won't be happy that some nobody from this dust ball got private tuition," pointed out the Commander as they headed towards the spaceport.

"Then we'll craft him a new identity, one worthy of that honour, it will be needed if he is related to whom I believe," frowned the Chiss.

"Very well Admiral, I'll see what I can do about forging him some identification documents," sighed Voss, realising the work he now had ahead of him.

"Make them perfect Commander, I want them to be unquestionable, even to the Emperor himself," commanded the Admiral, getting a surprised expression from his Commander.

Voss then gained a determine scowl before nodding, "I know a few people who owe me some favours, I'll get it done."

* * *

 **There we go, enjoy.**


	2. Recruitment

**Well it's been awhile hasn't it? Alright so main reason why this took so long, too many stories to work on and not enough time. Simple as that.**

* * *

It had been two days since Luke had meet the strange alien and despite searching everywhere in the academy and asking his fellow Squadmates, Luke hadn't been able to find him again. Eventually the Imperial Cadet just gave up and was currently enjoying the mess hall with the rest of the pilots when he heard the door slide open and his instructor stormed in. The man had a furious look on his face as he surveyed the room, which only grew in intensity as his eyes narrowed upon spotting the Cadet.

"CADET SKYWALKER!" shouted the instructor, his face a bright red as he stormed over to Luke and his Squadmates.

"S-sir? Is something wrong?" stuttered Luke, watching as his Squadmates decided to vacate the area and leaving him alone to face the Officers' wrath.

The entire mess hall was silent as they watched the instructor grab Luke by the throat before ripping him out of his chair and throwing the Cadet to the ground. Luke cried out in pain as he felt his head slam into the Plastcrete floor and as he looked up he saw his vision go blurry for a second before coming back into focus.

"You…WHAT DID YOU DO!" screamed the instructor, this time placing his boot on the Cadet's neck.

"I…don't…understand…I…didn't…do anything!" struggled out Luke as he pushed the officer off him and instantly gasped as air rushed back into his lungs.

"YOU KRIFFING NERF HERDER! STOP LYING TO ME!" shouted his attacker, even as Stormtroopers rushed into the room and formed a circle around them.

"I'm not lying!" replied Luke, pushing himself off the ground.

It seemed that the instructor was going to attack him again but stopped upon noticing the ring of guards now surrounding the two of them and instead just glared at the Cadet. "Then why do I have an Imperial ADMIRAL ASKING FOR YOU!" he growled out, taking a quick step towards him.

"I don't know! I never met any Admiral!" answered Luke, a confused frown on his face.

The officer just sighed as his temper seemed to calm slightly, "Cadet Skywalker, you are either the luckiest or unluckiest person I have ever met. As of this moment you have been transferred directly to Admiral Thrawn's command."

Luke's eyes bulged at this and a deep silence filled the normally loud and blusterous mess hall as he felt everyone's eyes focus in on him. "Unlucky, sir?" asked the Cadet, trying to break the odd atmosphere that had descended on the group.

"The Chiss disgraced himself in the eyes of the Imperial Court, and so the Emperor banished him and his fleet to search the Unknown Regions. I suppose working under an alien would suite someone like you."

"Should you really be insulting your superior officer like that?" pointed out Luke with a frown, only to jump back slightly as the officer rounded on the Cadet.

"What did you just say Cadet?!" he growled out, his hand now resting on his blaster.

"I would not recommend that course of action _Commander_ ," ordered a familiar male voice.

The instructor froze and his face paled as the ring of Stormtroopers parted and the blue skinned alien from earlier walked in. The officer just looked at the alien as his face paled even further before he nodded stiffly and left the mess hall, his feet barely touching the floor from his speed. Upon seeing the situation resolve itself the ring of Stormtroopers returned to their previous guard positions, while the alien walked up to Luke.

"You! You're that alien I met before, thanks for that err… sorry I didn't get your name earlier," apologised the Cadet, a sheepish smile on his face.

"It is quite alright, no offensive is taken. Now come along, do not worry about your instructor he will be…dealt with for his insurrection appropriately," replied the alien as he walked out of the mess hall, Luke getting a confused expression on his face before following his new friend out.

"So…why didn't you tell me you were in the Imperial Navy? In fact, I'm surprised you were able to enroll considering the prejudice against nonhumans," asked the Cadet curiously, noticing the Imperial Navy Uniform that the alien was now wearing.

"My skills were deemed too valuable to cast aside, despite my Chiss heritage," explained the alien, causing Luke to freeze as he remembered what the instructor had said.

"Chiss?" muttered the Cadet as he looked at the alien's uniform and his worry increased as he noticed that the insignia normally displaying rank was missing. "U-um sir, if you don't mind me asking…what rank are you. I don't see any insignia."

"I don't wear it when I'm off duty, can you tell me why Cadet Skywalker?" replied the alien as they kept walking towards the exit of the Academy.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know sir," answered Luke, his voice now crisp and devoid of the joking familiarity that it had once held.

"Try," ordered the alien, stopping at the exit door before turning to face Luke with his red eyes.

Luke just flinched slightly before he became silent and he thought for a moment, why would someone not wear their insignia? It showed their rank, proved you were superior to the more common soldiers…and just like that the Cadet's eyes widened as understanding dawned in his mind.

"Well…because it is a symbol. The mere presence of it instills fear and respect from normal troops and officers," he replied in a crisp tone, his back subconsciously straightening upon the reminder.

The Chiss nodded at his replied before his red eyes narrowed on the Cadet, "And why is that important?"

Luke swallowed slightly as he felt his voice waver slightly from the stare he was getting from the alien, "Because if you want to truly understand your troops, you need to get them to lower their guard, to reveal their flaws and strengths without being hindered by their discipline."

The lights from the outside buildings suddenly snapped on as the twin suns began to set in the distance, casting their red glow over the darkening sky and causing the harsh light from Mos Eisley's city to contrast the deep blue skin of the Chiss.

"Very good Skywalker," congratulated the alien, his clam voice easily piercing of the sounds of the bustling city beyond them. "And now for your final test, do you know who I am?"

Luke took a deep breath before he replied, "You're Admiral Thrawn, currently disgraced by the Imperial Court and sentenced to explore the Unknown Regions."

Instead of being angry at this the Admiral gained a faint smile on his face, "Good it seems you were paying attention to your former instructor's tirade."

"Former?" questioned Luke, a confused frown appearing on his face.

Thrawn just nodded as he held out his hand, "Congratulations on your graduation from the Academy Skywalker, from now on I'll be teaching you personally."

The Cadet looked at the Admiral, his eyes widening to astronomical proportions as he stared at the Chiss, "But sir…I'm just a farm boy. Won't others get angry at this favoritism?"

"Yes they would. However, rest assured that will be taken care of. I have already prepared to have all your records at this academy removed and prepared a cover story. As far as anyone else is concerned you will be a promising citizen from Carida," informed Thrawn.

Luke froze as he thought about the proposal being offered to him. This was the chance he had been waiting for, he could climb through the ranks and start to make some real Credits. But at the same time…what was he willing to sacrifice for this? Luke wasn't a fool, he knew the Empire wasn't the most benevolent organization. And that to climb the ranks he might have to make some questionable decisions, then there was the fact that he didn't know just why an Imperial _Grand Admiral_ had a personal interest in him.

"You are still hesitant," commented Thrawn as he lowered his hand and stared at Luke in the eye.

The Cadet flinched under the alien's gaze, "I just…I was fine being here as a garrison and protecting others from Slavers or Sand People's attacks…but this. I guess I'm just not sure I want to fully commit myself to the Empire…not all the choices they've made has been ones I agree with."

There was silence between them as Luke waited for the inevitable shouting and condemnation he was going to receive from his superior. But instead the silence dragged on and on as Luke felt his fear and anxiety rise, why did he say that?! They could go after his Aunt and Uncle!

The Cadet felt his heart start to race as pictures of his aunt and uncle burning to death in their own moisture farm appeared in his head with vivid details. It felt so real he could almost feel the heat of the flames as the fire rose to consume his family home, he could hear the screams of pain coming from his family before suddenly going silent. Luke started hyperventilating as the dark seductive whispers he'd heard earlier seemed to fill his mind, unknownst to the Cadet…Thrawn's eye narrowed further as he spotted the reinforced glass of the Academy begin cracking from an unseen force as Luke clutched his head.

The Admiral then turned back to the Cadet and frowned, "calm yourself Cadet, you must control your emotions. Not let them control you. You have nothing to fear from myself, of that I assure you."

Luke turned to face him as he opened his eyes that, for a briefest moment, seemed to almost glow an orange colour before the seductive whispers faded away as the Cadet thought back to the peaceful feeling from the Tusken painting earlier. His eye then returned to their normal colour as the cracks in the glass seemed to stop spreading and Luke let go of his head as he took a deep breath.

"You truly mean that sir? If I say no, there won't be any negative repercussions?" asked the Cadet, trying to put his horrifying vision out of his mind.

"Indeed, in fact I appreciate you are giving this a great deal of thought. It means you understand the responsibility that comes with this offer," replied the Chiss in an approving tone, causing Luke to shoot him a surprised look. "I told you Skywalker, your talents are wasted here but…I will respect your decision. So, I'm giving you a choice."

Luke watched as the Admiral walked out into the rapidly darkening streets beyond before an Imperial shuttle landed in front of him. Light seemed to spill out into the street as the door to the shuttle opened as the Chiss walked up the ramp before turning back to face Luke, his shadow reaching down to the Cadet's feet.

"You can stay here on this dust ball in the Outer Rim and maybe make the rank of Commander if you're lucky, perhaps save a couple of dozens from raiders. I won't hinder your progress; nor will I help it," informed the Grand Admiral, catching Luke's attention.

"Or you could join me. Learn what I have to teach you and make it your own. If you don't agree with the Empire's policies, then become powerful enough to change them. It is possible to get around their Xenophobic tendencies, I'm living proof of that," finished the Admiral as he once again offered his hand out to the Cadet.

"Easier said than done," muttered Luke, somehow being heard by the Chiss whom nodded his head in agreement.

"Indeed, but you'll find that most things in this galaxy are," pointed out Thrawn, as the twin suns finally disappeared behind the horizon and plunging the world in darkness. "The choice is your's Skywalker, what will you chose?"

Luke just looked around at the darkened street around him before turning to face the Admiral, taking a deep breath he slowly walked into the light cast from the shuttle before shaking Thrawn's hand. "Looking forward to learning from you sir," replied Luke.

* * *

Luke sighed as he took his first step onto the Star Destroyer before turning back to look at the Planet he'd spent his entire life before this. 'I guess there's no turning back now, I wonder if this is how Biggs and Wedge felt,' he wondered, thinking about the friends he hadn't seen in what seemed like years. However, his reminiscing was broken by the sound of Thrawn calling him over.

"Skywalker, these two will be your other superiors. This is Captain Niriz and you have already met Commander Voss," introduced the Chiss, as he pointed towards the two men standing next to him.

"I don't approve of this Admiral," frowned the older looking male with light brown hair and wearing a Captain's uniform, eyeing Luke with a suspicious look on his face.

"Oh and why is that Niriz?" asked Thrawn, raising his eyebrows as Luke flinched once more under the Captain's glare.

"Just because you think this boy has _some_ potential doesn't mean he is worth all this trouble," argued Niriz with a sigh as the Captain finally took his gaze off Luke.

"Your opinion is noted Captain; however, I shall be the one who determines that. You will be assisting in his tuition along with the Commander," ordered Thrawn, getting a sigh and a nod from the Captain.

"Yes sir, if that is all I am needed back on the bridge," replied Niriz with a tired sounding voice.

"Very well, you are dismissed Captain, I will call if I have need of you," replied Thrawn, getting a nod from Niriz whom saluted before walking off.

The remaining two then turned back to Luke whom stood up slightly straighter as he met their gaze and Voss nodded approvingly before Thrawn spoke up. "Skywalker, come with us."

The group then walked through the bowels of the ship, numerous Stormtroopers and Officers saluting as they passed, Luke himself knew that he would likely get lost if he didn't have these two leading him. "Tell me Skywalker, do you have a family?" asked Thrawn, snapping Luke from his attempt at mental mapping.

"Yeah, my aunt and uncle own a moisture farm back on Tatooine," replied the Cadet, getting a frown from the Admiral.

"What about your mother and father?" questioned the Chiss.

Luke just shook his head, "I don't know…I was told that my mother died in child birth and I never met my father."

"Interesting, well I'll see what I can do about relocating your aunt and uncle somewhere safe," replied Thrawn, getting a quick look from Voss.

"You would do that?! T-thank you sir, I won't forget this," assured Luke in a grateful voice, his visions of his aunt and uncle burning to death once again filling his mind.

Thrawn stared at the Cadet with his red eyes as he answered, "Just pay attention to my lessons and use your potential to serve the Empire as best you can, that is all I ask."

"Of course Admiral.," promised Luke with a nod.

"Good, now come along we have some tests to run," ordered the Chiss, once again turning from the Cadet and continuing to walk on with Voss following close behind.

"Tests, sir?" repeated Luke, rushing to catch up to them.

"Are you questioning your superior _Cadet_?" asked Voss, a hint of amusement in his voice as Luke quickly tried to apologise.

"N-no, of course not. Sorry," replied the Cadet, lowering his head.

"Calm now Voss, you should know I appreciate officers that can think for themselves. If I wanted mindless drones obeying me I would have droids," commented Thrawn as the group finally stopped in front of the Medical Bay.

"Now Skywalker, to answer your question we just need to run some blood tests and inoculations. You will be visiting many different planets while working here, so your immune system will need to be helped for the next couple of months," informed Thrawn, getting a nod from the Cadet.

"Understood Admiral," replied Luke as he walked in and the doctors began injecting something into him with needles before then taking some blood out of his body.

As the doctors then walked behind the one-way glass and into the computer room they placed the blood sample on the analysis machine. "The sample is ready, like you requested Admiral," informed the doctor as the two Imperials watched Luke lying down on the bed in the med bay.

"Good, leave us," he ordered to the doctors, whom exchanged looks before nodding and leaving the room.

"Sir…might I ask why you feel the need to examine Skywalker's blood test results personally? You've never taken an interest in recruits like this before," asked Voss, watching as Thrawn approached the terminal.

"Just testing a theory, Commander," answered the Chiss with a frown.

"A theory?" repeated Voss in confusion as he sat in front of the results for the blood sample.

"What is his midichlorian count?" asked Thrawn, ignoring the question posed by Voss.

"His midichlorian count? Sir, is there something I should know?" questioned the Commander, knowing what that implied.

Thrawn was silent for a couple of minutes as the blood was analysed before speaking up, "During the Clone Wars there was a very successful Jedi General by the name of Anakin Skywalker."

Voss blinked in shock upon hearing this, "Weren't all the Jedi wiped out during Order 66?"

"Most not all Commander, those higher in Imperial Command are aware that some Jedi escaped the Purge, and this Anakin's death was never confirmed, to make matters more interesting…he was originally from Tatooine," informed the Admiral, making a deep silence descended on the two Imperials, which was only broken by the sound indicating the analysis was done.

"I understand Admiral, and the results from the test are finished. His midichlorian count is…" Voss trialed off as his eyes widened in pure disbelief.

Upon seeing this a frown grew on Thrawn's face as he approached the results from the blood test and he said nothing as the Chiss silently deleted the data. "Commander…" prompted the Thrawn.

"Yes, Admiral," acknowledged Voss, his voice sounding slightly subdued.

"The results of this test are to be kept secret from everyone else, do you understand? I don't want a word of it being spoken to anyone," ordered the Admiral in a tone devoid emotion.

" _Anyone_ , sir?" repeated Voss, wanting clarification on what exactly the Grand Admiral was asking of him.

"I will not lose such a promising war asset just so Vader can have another Inquisitor in his service. He will do far more for the Empire as an Officer than an over glorified Jedi Hunter. Especially with the storm set to arrive," replied the Chiss.

Voss was silent before he nodded, "I understand, still I don't feel comfortable with a potential Force user on the ship. Supposedly they can control your mind if they want to."

"I'm aware, I have had firsthand experience in dealing with the Jedi after all. Rest assured Commander, I will take the appropriate countermeasures," promised Thrawn, his mind going back to his last encounter with the Jedi.

"Of course, I must head back to the Bridge," sighed the Commander, getting up from the chair.

"Good, Dismissed," nodded the Admiral as he walked into the room with Skywalker.

* * *

If someone had told Luke last week that he would be a student learning directly under an Imperial Grand Admiral…he would have told them to lay off the Deathsticks. But now here he was, it had only been two days since he was recruited and still he failed to wrap his head around how this happened.

"Cadet Sallian? Cadet Sallian are you listening?" reprimanded Thrawn as Luke shook his head.

"Sorry sir, I'm just not used to that name yet," apologised Luke.

"Remember that you must be able to respond to this name when in public. To the rest of the crew you are to be considered Luke Sallian, not Skywalker," pointed out the Chiss.

"I know but…" Luke trailed off.

"You don't approve Skywalker?" asked the Grand Admiral with a frown.

"It's not that sir…it's just that," the Cadet again felt his voice die down as Thrawn turned from his datapad to look at him.

"Speak," ordered the Admiral.

"Can I really make any sort of meaningful relationship with the crew when I'm lying like this?" sighed Luke, his hand running over his own datapad showing multiple artworks from numerous races he had to study before continuing.

"I mean, is it really a good idea to weave such an elaborate web of lies? Old Ben, the hermit that used to visit my family, once told me that you should beware those who weave too much, for they are often tangled and trapped by their own creations," finished the Cadet, thinking back to the old man back on Tatooine.

Thrawn put down his datapad and stared at Luke with a nod of approval, "Then he was a wise man, but even a wise man can be mistaken."

The Admiral then continued, "Tell me, Skywalker. Have you ever witnessed a Felucian Spider ensnared in its own web? I think not. For they know too well every fibre, every strand, which are harmless but stronger than steel, and which are fragile but death to touch. Like an extension of its body, the spider is intimately in tune with every square milimetre of its web, sensing immediately any disturbance, or any success."

Thrawn then paused and turned to a skull sitting on the wall before walking over to it and reaching his hand out to the skull, holding it up to the light with a thoughtful expression on his face. Luke was about to break the silence when he heard a soft murmur escape the Admiral.

"The spider never is trapped by its own web... though perhaps by that of another," whispered the Chiss in a soft voice.

"Umm…sir? Are you alright?" asked Luke, feeling more than a little confused by the normally stoic Chiss' reactions.

"Yes, I am fine. Now let us begin the first lesson I have to teach you," replied Thrawn as he put the skull back on the wall and spun to face Luke.

The Admiral then walked over to a nearby stand before throwing a staff over to Luke as he grabbed one of his own, causing Luke to fumble as he tried to catch the staff.

"When you said you would teach me…this isn't what I had in mind," commented Luke as he held the staff out before him.

"A common belief of the Chiss Ascendency is that a strong body leads to a disciplined mind, now ready yourself," answered Thrawn as he brought his staff up to a ready position.

Luke nodded as he tried to copy the Chiss' stance, only to cry out in pain as the Admiral's staff slammed through his sloppy defense and knocked him to the ground. The 'spar' continued on like this few what seemed like hours before Luke felt something…

It was like his body was moving on its own accord or as if something was guiding him as the Cadet blocked a strike from the Admiral, forcing the Chiss back a step before Luke tried to press his advantage. Thrawn just nodded as if satisfied with something as he easily blocked Luke's strike and with a flurry of blows knocked the staff from the Cadet's hand as Luke fell to the floor.

"An adequate first attempt, we are done for the day. Tell me, why did you lose?" lectured the Chiss.

"Because you are far more experienced than me, you performed every maneuver perfectly," replied Luke, frowning at how obvious the answer should have been.

Thrawn just nodded, "Yes I did, every maneuver was perfect, textbook, and most importantly _predictable_. Something that should have been easy for you to counter."

Seeing that he now had Luke's undivided attention Thrawn continued, "Not every battle shall be fought with equal or superior numbers on your side Skywalker, when faced with an enemy that outguns and outnumbers you…What do you do then? Fighting on their terms will only ensure your defeat."

"But…we're the Empire. What force out there could possibly challenge us?" questioned Luke in slight disbelief.

The Chiss frowned as he turned to face the office window and a faraway look appeared in his eyes, "There is always someone out there stronger than you, never assume you are unbeatable or soon you shall find your forces crumbling all around you."

"That is it for now. Meet me here the same time tomorrow for our next session, I expect to see a better result next time," ordered the Admiral.

"Yes, Admiral," nodded Luke in understanding.

"Good, now report to Commander Voss and Captain Niriz. They will oversee teaching you the basics of fleet management and warfare, both Naval and Ground based," informed Thrawn, getting another nod from Luke whom turned towards the exit, only to stop as Thrawn spoke up once again.

"Oh and Skywalker, don't let you piloting skills get rusty. There is a simulator in the barracks, I'm sure the ship's fighter contingent would appreciate a worthy opponent like yourself," informed the Admiral.

"Yes sir!" cheered out Luke with a happy expression on his face.

* * *

 **Well there we go chapter two. The reason this took so long was because I was researching different things to add into the Unknown Regions species wise. The other reason is that I wanted to figure out how much of Canon and Legends I was going to blend for this story. Anyway this chapter is done, hope you enjoyed it.**


	3. The First Test

**Well this was a fun chapter to write. Never tried writing dogfights before so let me know what you guys think.**

* * *

The TIE Interceptor quickly banked to the side as a blast of green energy flashed past where it had been only seconds earlier before diving below the clouds of the stormy planet beneath them, hiding from its purser. Mere milliseconds later another TIE Interceptor came bursting past the cloud in its attempts to hunt down its target, the symbol of an animal with the head, body and legs of multiple other creatures fused together, painted in red on its side wing.

The Chimera Interceptor seemed confused for a moment as it circled the area, looking for its lost target before the normal grey Interceptor burst out from behind the clouds and opened up with its laser canons, sending bolts of green destruction towards their target.

Instantly the Chimera Interceptor executed evasive maneuvers as it jockeyed from side to side, the green bolts of light just narrowly missing its hull. The Chimera then descended through the clouds, like its former prey had, hoping to escape from sight. However, the grey Interceptor simply dived after it at a reckless speed, seemingly unconcerned for the dangers awaiting at the other end of the cloud as the storms raged and lightning flashed in an array of colours all around the two dogfighting Starfighters.

Each pilot struggled to see their quarry within the cloud and only the brief flashes of lightning allowed them to get any visuals before darkness once again flooded their cockpit screens. Eventually the Chimera descended even further below until it was only mere meters above the ground before speeding off at an unimaginable speed, daring the other TIE to follow it.

It did.

The grey Interceptor chased after the Chimera with reckless abandon as it pushed its Twin Ion Engines to their limits trying to catch up, narrowly missing the numerous trees and mountains rising up from the ground to meet it. Suddenly the prowl of the grey Interceptor glowed green as it opened fire on the Chimera, causing dirt to blast up from the ground and trees to explode as they sent flaming debris everywhere. The grey Interceptor immediately ascended upon seeing this but it was too late as its cockpit was covered in dirt and reducing the visibility to almost nothing.

Realising that an opportunity had presented itself the Chimera performed a vertical 180 degree turn as it began raking the enemy TIE with weapons fire, only for the grey TIE to roll and bank like a mad man possessed. The Chimera continued firing however and before long it scored a glancing hit on one of the engines, causing the emergency safeties to activate as they diverted valuable power and fuel away from the damaged engine, and into the remaining functional one.

Now crippled and at an immense disadvantage, the grey Interceptor ascended back into the storm trying to take away the other Interceptor's speed advantage. Deep within the Chimera Interceptor, Commander Vult Skerris had a smile begin to form on his face as he watched the recruit's newest maneuver.

He had been wrong about this boy, he knew that now, he had underestimated him from the beginning and it had nearly cost him the fight from the opening moves. Whoever this boy was, he was skilled at flying, and he definitely wasn't anyone in his fighter contingent. Vult would have found out about him already if the was the case. No whoever this was, they were someone new. 'I guess the Admiral wasn't lying when he praised the boys' piloting skills,' he thought, his face furrowed in determination.

For the first time in as long as he could remember Vult found himself grinning like a madman as he felt his old competitive streak begin to show itself, finally having a worthy opponent to test himself on. Bringing his Interceptor around to chase after his newfound quarry, Vult quickly yanked his joystick to the side as he saw the familiar shade of green spring out from within the cloud. His TIE gave a loud groan as it barrel rolled to the left before he returned fire, not expecting to hit anything due to lack of visibility.

Suddenly all the Commander could see was black and grey as he entered the storming cloud, however unlike last time Vult used his tracking equipment to target the emissions coming from the other TIE's damaged engines. The Commander then smiled as he got a blip on his sensors and sure enough for the briefest second, he saw his quarry appear as lightning struck all round him, lighting up the cloudy sky.

Grinning Vult unleashed a volley of green death at the Starfighter, the green laser fire pushing back the darkness and allowing him to see through the cloud. Vult's admiration grew slightly as he saw the other Interceptor dancing between the continuous streams of laser fire, the bright bolts of green crisscrossing the sky as the Commander continued his near non-stop barrage. Watching as his opponent continued to serpentine in multiple directions, left, right, up, down, and any combination of the two, each dodge nearly impossible to track despite the damaged engine.

However, Vult could see the pilot was slowly losing control of his damaged craft, the responsiveness of the damaged Interceptor was slowing in response to his oncoming weapons fire. Suddenly the damaged Interceptor rose directly up and towards the center of the storm, causing Vult to frown at this apparent suicidal action before chasing after him, waiting for the other Interceptor to break off from this suicidal maneuver.

But it never did…

Vult watched with wide eyes as both he and the other Interceptor were mere meters from the electrical storm, already the Commander could see interference from the storm's centre affecting his equipment. His targeting reticule was flickering and numerous warning lights were flashing all along his control board, and yet still his opponent kept climbing, heading straight towards the massive maw of electricity powering the storm.

"What are you planning? Mutually Assured Destruction?" muttered the Commander as he eyed the wounded Starfighter and continued pushing his engines to their max speed, hoping to end the fight before they were both taken out by the storm.

Suddenly just as he got his weapons reticule focused on the enemy Interceptor, its remaining engine shut off and Vult watched with wide eyes as the TIE began plummeting to the earth beneath them before turning to see his Chimera rapidly approaching the centre mass of the storm at max speed.

"I see…very clever," he remarked approvingly as his Interceptor plowed into the storm and was no more.

* * *

Luke breathed a sigh of relief as he got out of the simulator, whomever that was that he had been fighting against really knew his stuff. He hadn't ever been pushed that far in the Academy, even from their instructors, in fact the Cadet couldn't remember a time where he had ever had that intense of a dogfight.

"I'm amazed that strategy worked," he muttered, thinking about how close he had come to being destroyed, both by his opponent and the storm.

Not for the first time Luke was grateful for his impressive reflexes, they were the key factor in evading the other Interceptor's weapons once his engines were damaged. Still he couldn't entirely keep the smile off his face, with all the training Thrawn and the others had him undergoing…it had been far too long since he had been in the cockpit of a Starfighter…even if it was only a simulation.

" _Remember Skywalker, art, whether it be an individual's personal symbol or a racial icon, can tell you far more about a person or species than you can ever find from a book."_

"I should see what I can find out about that symbol that was painted on the other TIE," he murmured to himself with a frown.

"It's good to see you are taking my lessons seriously Cadet Skywalker," commented a familiar calm voice.

Luke instantly spun around to see Thrawn, Voss and Niriz all watching him and quickly got to his feet before saluting them. "Impressive work Skywalker, I haven't seen flying like that in all my time in the Imperial Navy," congratulated Voss, getting a begrudging nod of agreement from Niriz.

"Thank you, sir," replied Luke as he finally dropped his salute.

The Cadet then blinked as he spotted something hanging around the Admiral's neck, it looked to be some kind of lizard creature. Upon noticing his gaze Thrawn lifted the creature off his neck before holding the creature out to Luke. The Cadet just looked at the Admiral in confusion as he took the lizard from him and as soon as he got close to it…he felt something off.

It wasn't something he could quite place his finger on but it felt like a sense he hadn't even known existed was suddenly gone. It was…an uncomfortable feeling…

"What you are holding there Skywalker is a very rare species known as a Ysalamir, native to the world of Myrkr, and that one is now yours," informed the Admiral, getting a confused look from the Cadet.

"Mine?" repeated Luke, looking at the creature held in his hands with a frown.

"Consider it another test Cadet. This is your chance to prove your ability to look after those beneath you. You are to take care of that creature, feed it, clean it, keep it healthy, and most importantly of all. You are to keep it with you at all time, do I make myself clear?" asked Thrawn, his eyes narrowing as he stared Luke in the eyes.

"Yes sir!" he replied, slightly fearful of the sudden atmosphere that had descended on the room.

The Admiral's glare softened slightly as he tilted his head in a small nod, "take good care of it Skywalker. They are not cheap to obtain. And who knows…if you take good enough care of it…it might even save your life."

The Cadet blinked as he stared down at the creature that was looking up at him with four black, almost inquisitive, eyes before the Ysalamir licked his face. Luke could help it as he chuckled slightly at this and placed the Ysalamir around his own neck, much like the Admiral had done earlier. The creature just snuggled into a more comfortable spot as began absorbing his body heat and gave a loud squeaking sound as it yawned.

Upon seeing this the Chiss and his subordinates frowned, "interesting, I've never seen one imprint this fast before."

"Imprint?" asked Luke quietly, not wanting to wake up the now sleeping creature. "Never mind, so what's this little guy's name?"

"That is up to you to decided Skywalker, he is yours now," replied Thrawn, giving a dismissive wave of his hand.

The Grand Admiral nodded to his two subordinates, whom Luke noticed looked much more at ease for some reason than before, before the three headed towards the exit.

"Skywalker, when you arrive for our sparing sessions or to use the simulators, you should leave the Ysalamir in your room," replied the Chiss, getting a confused frown from Luke.

After all, hadn't the Admiral just told him to take this creature everywhere? However, before he could question the Admiral on this loophole, the three of them had already left, leaving a very confused Skywalker alone in one of the Simulation rooms.

"So, you need a name huh little guy?" muttered Luke as he stared at the sleeping Ysalamir with a smile, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling it seemed to be generating. "You know back on Tatooine we had lizards too, big scary beasts called Kyrat Dragons."

Luke's smile grew melancholic as he thought back to his home and family, briefly thinking back to their old moisture farm. "From now on you'll be called Kyrat," he decided, giving the lizard a soft pat on the head.

* * *

"Do you think it will work?" asked Voss in a worried tone.

"Be at ease Commander, Ysalamir have long been known to interfere with a Jedi's ability to use the Force. How exactly it does this we don't know, but the Empire has been meaning to try and recreate this effect for years. Rest assured, as long as he keeps that creature nearby him, than he is as Force sensitive as you or me," reassured the Admiral as the trio entered the General's private command room.

"So how has Skywalker's training been progressing over the past months?" asked the Admiral as he sat down in his chair before turning to face his subordinates.

Voss and Niriz silently glanced at each other before Niriz spoke up, "Skywalker has been progressing…quite well considering his lack of experience. However, he appears to have a somewhat risky approach to problems, often taking needless risks to get the objective complete."

"This is likely a result of his piloting style influencing his way of thinking, you all saw how reckless he was during that dogfight with Vult," commented Voss, getting a nod from Niriz.

"And yet Skywalker claimed victory, did he not? It would appear that his reckless attitude paid off in the end," pointed out the Admiral.

"We all know that is not always the case, Admiral. It is acceptable to take those sorts of risks in a one-man fighter, but in a capital ship? It is more than your life you are needlessly risking in that case," replied the Commander.

"And it is your job to teach him that Commander, Skywalker might be reckless but he is not a glory hound or cold hearted. He will care for his men, use that to your advantage during his next training session," replied Thrawn, getting a nod from Voss.

"But, that being said…he does have a very good ability to improvise and think on his feet, given time and _experience_ I believe he could be useful. Provided we can curb the worst of his reckless tendencies," argued Niriz with a frown.

Both Thrawn and Voss turned to look at their companion and raised eyebrows as Voss smirked, "of all the people defending him, I expected you to be the last Niriz."

"I am merely stating my personal opinion Voss," replied the Captain with a glare before turning back to the Thrawn. "He lacks experience and discipline, but this isn't that unusual in most pilots. To me the reward outweighs the risks.

"Voss? Do you have anything to add?" asked Thrawn turning to face the Commander.

Voss frowned as he looked at the two training staves, noticing the new cracks and dents in them and even a few dried blood stains. Eventually the Commander turned back to face his Admiral, whom merely looked on in expectation.

"If you have something to say Voss, then please do. I had hoped you would know me well enough by now to realise I value the opinions of my subordinates," replied the Admiral.

Voss took a deep breath as he replied, "why are you making us teach him Fleet and Army tactics? Wouldn't you be a much better teacher for such a thing?"

Thrawn just nodded, "indeed I would. But one must learn to walk before he can run, once he is up to a satisfactory level then I shall take over."

"So, what are you teaching him then?" asked Niriz, his eyes also going towards the sparring equipment.

Thrawn was silent before he got up from his chair and walked over to the staves, grasping one before quickly falling into a series of fast paced katas. Voss and Niriz said nothing as the watched Thrawn move with the grace of a dancer as he flowed from each stance. Eventually the Admiral placed the stave back into its previous position and walked back over to his subordinates.

"You ask what I am teaching him? I am teaching him the most valuable lesson that he can learn…control. For once he has obtained this…the Ysalamir will no longer be necessary," answered the Chiss, returning to his seat.

"Niriz, I want you to tell the _Indomitable_ to prepare for departure," ordered the Admiral.

"The _Indomitable_?" repeated Niriz, thinking back to the aging _Victory I_ -class in the fleet before nodding. "Very well, what destination?"

The room turned dark as Thrawn activated a holoprojector and a map of the surrounding systems appeared, their planets glowing a faint blue colour. The Admiral then circled one of them which turned red as looked back at his subordinates.

"One of our probe droids returned a positive signal, there is life on the world of DC-50, scans show it is very primitive but sentient. These people could become valuable members of the Empire once we've developed them up," informed the Chiss.

"I see, so it will be peaceful first contact then? Who will lead the expedition?" asked the Captain.

"Skywalker will," replied Thrawn, causing both his subordinates to freeze before looking at the Chiss in shock.

"Admiral, are you sure that is a good idea? I know that Jedi had a reputation for being negotiators but this…he is only a Cadet," argued Voss, getting frantic nods of agreement from Niriz.

"He is not ready for this level of responsibility," stated the Captain with a deep frown.

Thrawn just folded his arms over his desk before placing his hands together and leaning back in his chair, "both of you told me that all that is hindering Skywalker's training is a lack of experience. It will be a peaceful mission to give Skywalker an idea of how to run a ship and interact as a representative of the Empire."

Both his subordinates were about to argue further before the Admiral silenced them with a gesture of his hand and continuing, "however, I am aware of your concerns which is why you will accompany him Captain Niriz."

"What?" murmured the Captain in shock.

"I need someone to observe him, to evaluate his ability to command and most of all make sure he does his best to represent the Empire," explained the Chiss, causing them both to calm down.

"And what if isn't ready?" questioned Niriz.

"If he does anything that is against the best interest of the Empire…then you have my permission to counterman all his orders and act as you see fit," replied Thrawn, getting a nod from the Captain.

"Very well sir, but I want it noted that I am heavily against this idea," sighed Niriz as he got up from his chair. "I shall inform Skywalker and prepare the _Indomitable_ for departure."

With that the Captain saluted and walked out of the room, leaving Voss and Thrawn to stare at each other. There was a brief silence between the two before Voss spoke up once again.

"Sir, what's your real reason for doing this?" questioned the Commander.

"You think I am lying Commander?" asked Thrawn, the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

Voss just shook his head, "no you were telling the truth. You want Skywalker to get experience, and quite quickly I might add, but you never explained why."

Thrawn was silent for a minute before he responded, "with the current internal issues plaguing the Empire, this Rebel Alliance, we will likely be called back to the Core Worlds on multiple occasions."

"I want to make sure that someone capable, opened minded, and trusted is watching over our operations here while we're gone. Skywalker has potential, but most of all he is a blank slate. He has not been exposed to the numerous examples of Imperial Xenophobia and therefore is less likely to enforce them," continued the Chiss.

"That's true, I remember how long it took myself to get over those tendencies," sighed Voss, before getting up from his chair. "Very well, if you think it's the best course of action Admiral I'll trust you but…why didn't you inform Niriz about the strange activity recorded in the area?"

"Skywalker needs experience, and we don't have time to wait for him to catch up, this will be his trial by fire," concluded the Grand Admiral.

* * *

 **Well the next chapter is done. For those who are wondering I aim for 2000 words per chapter, the past two updates have just been over that limit. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


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